Stop! Don’t enter

Shocking new figures have revealed that the number of ‘red-flagged’ addresses in Glasgow which see ambulance crews needing police protection have increased.
By JOHN A. MACINNES
Published 26th Oct 2015, 16:45 BST
Ambulance crews are having to wait on police support before entering some addressesAmbulance crews are having to wait on police support before entering some addresses
Ambulance crews are having to wait on police support before entering some addresses

A Freedom of Information Act enquiry by the Scottish Conservatives showed that the number of addresses where ambulance staff are not allowed to enter without having police support has increased exponentially since 2012.

The Scottish Ambulance Service now has more than 2800 “no-go” areas flagged on their system where crews will not enter without police protection due to safety concerns.

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The latest figures released have revealed that as of February this year, 2846 addresses were “red-flagged” as they were deemed to be dangerous.

Ambulance staff can flag an address to control room workers in they are confronted with violence or threats.

In the Greater Glasgow & Clyde health board area there were 808 addresses listed compared with just 125 three years ago - the highest increase recorded in Scotland.

A spokesman for the Scottish Ambulance Service said: “The safety of ambulance staff is paramount, which is why the Service takes appropriate measures to protect them. As one of a number of protective measures, individual addresses - not streets or postcode areas - where there have been previous incidents of violence or threatening behaviour towards staff are flagged in control rooms.

“This means that if a 999 call comes in from a flagged address, dispatchers can identify that staff may be at risk and request additional police support.”

Related topics:Greater GlasgowScottish ConservativesClydeScotland